Dear fam,
In October, 2020, after 5 months of homelessness, I was happy to find a sublet that I intended to stay in until April 2021. This afternoon (around 3:30 on 12-21-20) while holding a psychotherapy session with a new client using video telehealth, I heard very loud peristent banging on my bedroom door. The banging was so loud and hard that I could see the door moving, and my client could hear the sound through the video cam. The two roommates I live with are super respectful, and when I have my door closed, they know to keep noise down and not knock or bother me.
Therapy sessions are confidential, so I ignored the banging. It persisted, getting louder. Fearing that the person banging on the door would enter the room during my session I asked my client to wait, and went to open the door, blocking the entrance with my body.
Standing extremely close to the entrance was the landlord of the building, who demanded to come into my room immediately and "check the roof for leaks." I told him no, he could not. He insisted and tried to force his way in. With neither of us touching each other I repeated that he would NOT come in. I added there were no leaks and he could come back in 30 minutes. He grew more aggressive and said he was coming in, continuing to raise his voice. Meanwhile, my client was hearing all of this. I told him to wait and closed the door. I informed my client I had to deal with a matter and would need to end the session.
When I opened the door again the landlord stormed into the room, looked around, and walked back out, exclaiming, "see I only needed a few seconds, no leak." I explained to him adamantly that his behavior was super inappropriate and illegal. I added that I would report him for such behavior—and if he engaged in it again would be dealing with tenant lawyers. He laughed and said he could do what he wanted, apporaching me agressively. I explained that he could not, and warned him again to respect our rights in the apartment, specifying that he CANNOT enter the premises any time he wants. He then began speaking fake Spanish to me in a mocking tone, laughing and telling me to calm down, that he would do what he wants.
This is the THIRD time the landlord and/or his wife, who live downstairs in the same building, have approached me agressively with zero provocation from me.
For my own safety and mental health; that of my dauther (I am a single father and am with my dauther where I live regularly. In fact she was with me a couple of hours before this incident); and my clients, I informed my roommates today that I will vacate the premises by the end of the month (December 2020).
That is next Friday!
It is winter, in the middle of a surging pandemic. I spent May-October 2020 homeless due to losing work when everything was shut down in April 2020. I face the threat of homelessness again, along with COVID, and potentially an inability to work AGAIN due to having nowhere safe to see clients. Moving in New York City is extremely expensive—and I am still recovering financially from my recent unemployment and homelessness (my move into the sublet I am now leaving was covered by a loan from a dear friend).
So I am forced to ask for help, which if you know me, you KNOW is EXTREMELY difficlut for me to do. If you can donate anything to help me move that would be wonderful. If you can spread the word, that would be wonderful. Thank you in advance.
~ Mani
